Europe surpasses 250,000 virus deaths as Israel lifts blockade

PARIS, France – Europe passed the 250,000 Covid-19 death milestone on Sunday as Israel and Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, began gradually easing their strict closures.

European nations have increased restrictions on daily life to cope with mounting infections, with a 44 percent increase in cases this week.

Nighttime curfews for millions went into effect in France this weekend and Switzerland required all its citizens to wear masks in closed public places.

But Israel has managed to flatten its outbreak through draconian measures, including a travel ban more than a kilometer from home.

The government lifted that restriction on Sunday and reopened kindergartens, beaches and national parks.

Israeli mother Talia Zinkin said she was initially unsure about sending her son back to daycare. “But I felt that he would like to be with other children,” he told AFP. “We have to try to live normally.”

In Australia, Melbourne has managed to control its increase in cases and officials were able to allow the city’s five million residents to leave their homes for more than two hours a day for the first time in three months.

While people will be able to travel up to 25 kilometers (15 miles) from home if they have valid reasons, restaurants and other businesses in Melbourne remain closed.

In Europe, however, the increase in cases is reaching alarming levels.

Respected curfews

The death toll in Europe makes it the second most affected region after Latin America and the Caribbean, where deaths have exceeded 350,000.

The UK remains the hardest hit country in Europe in terms of deaths, accounting for almost a fifth of deaths on the continent.

He continues to fight the virus, with local officials resisting attempts by ministers to impose restrictions by region.

France counted nearly 30,000 new cases on Sunday, close to Saturday’s record of 32,427 cases. Some 1,900 Covid-19 patients currently occupy intensive care unit beds, out of France’s total capacity of 5,800.

The government has introduced a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for at least a month in nine cities, including Paris, which affects 20 million people.

Those who break the curfew face a fine of 135 euros ($ 158) unless they can show they have a valid reason to leave.

“I’m coming back from the hospital … where my daughter is being operated on,” one man told a group of policemen, showing them a one-page document as evidence.

The measures fall short of the general limits imposed in many countries at the beginning of the year, but raise fears of new and severe restrictions across the continent.

The Swiss government said Sunday that it would impose the wearing of masks in all indoor public spaces starting Monday and ban gatherings of more than 15 people, among other restrictions.

Several hundred people protested against the new measures in front of the Federal Palace of the government in Bern.

Across the border in Italy, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Sunday a series of new measures to address the growing number of virus cases, with restrictions imposed on bars and restaurants and a push to increase work from home.

Arrivals at schools will also be staggered to help with social distancing and a ban on local festivals and fairs.

‘Moving cautiously’

Two weeks ago, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had stated that her country had beaten the virus again, but now a new community case of Covid-19 has been confirmed, opening a hole in her claim.

Ardern’s Labor Party won a landslide election victory on Saturday, and its government’s handling of the pandemic was widely credited as a factor.

In South Africa, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Sunday that he had tested positive for coronavirus, adding to the more than 700,000 cases recorded in the country.

He is the fifth member of the government to contract Covid-19.

South Africa accounts for about 43 percent of virus cases on the African continent.

Meanwhile, a new study in Japan has found that the coronavirus remains active on human skin for nine hours.

By comparison, the pathogen that causes the flu survives on human skin for about 1.8 hours, according to the study published this month in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

The research team examined skin obtained from autopsy samples about a day after death.

They concluded that frequent hand washing is the best way to combat the pandemic.

“Longer survival of SARS-CoV-2 in the skin increases the risk of contact transmission; however, hand hygiene can reduce this risk, ”the study said.

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